Fire-escape ladder.



6. SMiTH.

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED mun, 1911.

1,258,487. Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

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GEORGE SMITH, OF LOUISIANA, MISSOURI.

FIRE-ESCAPE LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

Application filed .Tune 4, 1917. Serial No. 172,811.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Guoncn SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisiana, in the county of Pike, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escape Ladders; and I do hereby declare the following to b a tall, clear, and exact description 01 the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to safety fire appliance and is directed more particularly to a. lire escape ladder.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a ladder oi a type to permit of its use for general household purposes and at the same time to embody in its construction a mechanism through the medium oi which it may be utilized as a fire escape by which the occupants of a building may descend with safety to the street below.

1V ith the above and other objects of similar nature in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, set forth in and falling within the scope oi the appended claim.

in the drawing Figure 1 is'a side elevation of the device in use as a ladder.

Fig. 2 is a front view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3--3 01 Fig. 1.

Fig. 4. is a front elevation showing the device in use as a tire escape; and,

Fig. 5 is a vertical section therethrough showing the brakes applied.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing there is shown a ladder including the front and rear sections, and 11 respectively, that are ivotally connected at their upper ends as siown at 12 nd are connected intermediate their ends by means 01 the usual break joint brace 13.

Journaled between the side rails 1-1- 01 the rear section 11 is a drum 15 enlarged at its ends as shown at 16. Encircling each of the enlarged portions 16 is a brake band 17 the ends 0:1 which are provided with transverse bearing eyes 18. To actuate the bands 17 to irictionally engage the enlarged portion 16 ot the drum 15 there is provided a substantially U'shaped operating member 19, the legs of which are constructed as shown at 20 to pass through the bearing eyes 18 of the bands, and have their terminals journally engaged in the corresponding side rails Lt whereby to operatively support said member. Pivoted as at 9.1 to an upper round of the rear section 11 is a platform 22 which, when the appliance is employed as a ladder, assumes the position illustrated in Fig. 1. found upon the drum 15 inwardly of its ends 16, are a pair of cables 3 carrying at their free ends hooks 2 1, while provided on the rails 14: of the rear section 11 are guides 25 through which the cables are slidably passed.

The use of the device as a ladder, it is thought will be readily apparent from the drawing and needs no further explanation. However when employing the same as a fire escape it is inverted as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, and the books 3 1 of the cables 23 engaged with a window sill or other suitable support in the building in which the fire occurs. The platform 22 is then swung to the position shown in Fig. 5 and the ladder passed outwardly through the window. When so disposed, one or more 00- cupants of the building will step upon the platform 22 and will be lowered with the ladder to the ground, the brake bands 17 being actuated through the medium of the operating member 19 to regulate the speed of the descent and the cables 23 unwinding from the drum 15 as will be evident. There is thus provided a structure, which under normal conditions, may be effectively employed as a ladder, and which in case of lire or other emergency may be quickly and conveniently converted into a device,through the instrumentality 01 which, the Occupants of a building may be lowered from the upper floors with ease and safety.

What I claim is In combination a ladder including pivotally connected front and rear sections, a platform carried by the rear section for positioning horizontally between the sections, a drum journaled in the rear section, suspending cables wound upon the drum, and braking means associated with the drum for regulating the speed with which the cables are unwound from the latter.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

Rnv. GEORGE SMITH.

(topics of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

